BATTLE FOR THE BLACK RHINOS

Despite losing a wildlife ranger every 48 hours, killed in the line of duty, a dramatic new documentary reveals how the tide is turning on poaching and the battle to protect critically endangered species from extinction

- James Rampton

WILDLIFE rangers are the unsung heroes of the natural world. These astonishingly courageous people voluntarily risk their lives every single day to protect endangered species from poachers and habitat loss. Now a new feature-length documentary narrated by Hollywood star Tom Hardy highlights the awe-inspiring bravery of rangers responsible for protecting one animal pushed to the brink of extinction - the black rhino.

Released in cinemas today, Rhino follows the wildlife monitors as they attempt to save the widely adored megafauna from poachers as their numbers dwindle to just over 6,000 in the wild across the world. Tom Martienssen, the British director of the eco-thriller, spent four years embedded with rangers at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya and witnessed first-hand the deadly extremities faced by the frequently outgunned wildlife rangers.

He takes up the story. "One morning we were filming with a ranger called Johnson Sururu and his team. We left them to do something else and they got ambushed by poachers later that night. Johnson was killed and every single other person in the team was injured. The danger there is very real. We knew that if we drove into an ambush, we would probably be killed."

The documentary includes moving footage of Johnson's funeral. As his wife howls with grief and is held back by relatives, the preacher declares: "I want to recognise the conservancies for their efforts. If it were not for their protection, there would be no communities left." In a poignant moment, the camera homes in on Johnson's boots, which have been placed on top of his coffin as a tribute. The film is dedicated to the 36-year-old's memory.